We all know how to breast a bird and most of us can pluck and gut one. I thought I'd share some ways of butchering birds for special uses/occassions.
The kids took the pics below so some things might not show up well. And yes I am wearing pajama bottoms in the pics -- they're comfy.
Easy Gutting
This is good for birds you want to roast low and slow and stuff without having to cram your hand up their arse.
Start with a basic plucked bird and cut straight though the rear of the bird just above the preen gland, taking off the anus. Then cut the skin all around the neck.
Then using a set of game shears cut up either side of the spine.
Simply pull the spine out and most of the guts come with it. The kidneys and lungs are also easily removed.
The carcasse can now easily be stuffed and roasted -- holding the back together with skewers if needed.
Skin on Breasts and Legs
Ususally the breasts are better cooked and served separately from the legs. I collect the legs and save them until I have enough for a meal. The skin on breasts are great seared of in a pan and then finished in a hot oven.
Again, a simple plucked duck (I normally take the wings off at the shoulder joint if they've been broken). No gutting required here.
Score the skin around the breasts and legs leaving lots of it overlapping the meat as it shrinks up quite a bit on cooking.
Take the legs off by cutting close to the knee joint and peeling out. Make sure to cut right to the back popping out the hip joint and getting all the meat of the thigh.
Take breasts out as per normal.
The "easy" gutted bird and the disjointed plucked bird.
Spatchcocked
Sounds dirty but it ain't. M12 Shooter mentioned this method in another post. It's just a bird that has had the spine, ribs and keel bone pulled out. It is great for grilling a whole bird and getting it to cook fast and evenly.
Proceed as if preparing the Easy Gut duck.
Once the spine is out, shear off the shoulder blades. Then take a boning knife and carefully slice out the ribs and keel bone. Let the bones be the guide for your knife tip.
End result is a semi boneless bird. When this is cooked you end up with a bird that can be easily cut into quarters each of which has its own wingbone or leg handle.
Boneless Duck
Probably the most difficult technique but again provides a nice product that can be cooked flat on the grill or stuffed and tied for roasting. No gutting here either and you get all of the meat.
Make a single cut down the length of the spine.
Scrape the knife along the back getting all of the skin and meat off until you get to the hip joint. Pop out the hip joint and sever close to the body,making sure you don't slice through the skin on the opposite side.
Debone the leg by scraping the meat off with the knife tip working all the way down to the joint where the foot skin begins where you should be able to pull the entire leg bone free. (This bird had wings removed at the shoulders but if wings are left on, simply use the leg procedure for them too)
Bird with legs deboned and back exposed.
As with Spatchcocking now simply use the bones to guide the knife tip and remove the ribs and keel bone.
Carcass nearly clean of meat.
Boneless duck.
From left to right: Spatchcocked, easy gutted whole duck, disjointed plucked duck, skinless breasts and whole boneless duck.
The kids took the pics below so some things might not show up well. And yes I am wearing pajama bottoms in the pics -- they're comfy.
Easy Gutting
This is good for birds you want to roast low and slow and stuff without having to cram your hand up their arse.
Start with a basic plucked bird and cut straight though the rear of the bird just above the preen gland, taking off the anus. Then cut the skin all around the neck.
Then using a set of game shears cut up either side of the spine.
Simply pull the spine out and most of the guts come with it. The kidneys and lungs are also easily removed.
The carcasse can now easily be stuffed and roasted -- holding the back together with skewers if needed.
Skin on Breasts and Legs
Ususally the breasts are better cooked and served separately from the legs. I collect the legs and save them until I have enough for a meal. The skin on breasts are great seared of in a pan and then finished in a hot oven.
Again, a simple plucked duck (I normally take the wings off at the shoulder joint if they've been broken). No gutting required here.
Score the skin around the breasts and legs leaving lots of it overlapping the meat as it shrinks up quite a bit on cooking.
Take the legs off by cutting close to the knee joint and peeling out. Make sure to cut right to the back popping out the hip joint and getting all the meat of the thigh.
Take breasts out as per normal.
The "easy" gutted bird and the disjointed plucked bird.
Spatchcocked
Sounds dirty but it ain't. M12 Shooter mentioned this method in another post. It's just a bird that has had the spine, ribs and keel bone pulled out. It is great for grilling a whole bird and getting it to cook fast and evenly.
Proceed as if preparing the Easy Gut duck.
Once the spine is out, shear off the shoulder blades. Then take a boning knife and carefully slice out the ribs and keel bone. Let the bones be the guide for your knife tip.
End result is a semi boneless bird. When this is cooked you end up with a bird that can be easily cut into quarters each of which has its own wingbone or leg handle.
Boneless Duck
Probably the most difficult technique but again provides a nice product that can be cooked flat on the grill or stuffed and tied for roasting. No gutting here either and you get all of the meat.
Make a single cut down the length of the spine.
Scrape the knife along the back getting all of the skin and meat off until you get to the hip joint. Pop out the hip joint and sever close to the body,making sure you don't slice through the skin on the opposite side.
Debone the leg by scraping the meat off with the knife tip working all the way down to the joint where the foot skin begins where you should be able to pull the entire leg bone free. (This bird had wings removed at the shoulders but if wings are left on, simply use the leg procedure for them too)
Bird with legs deboned and back exposed.
As with Spatchcocking now simply use the bones to guide the knife tip and remove the ribs and keel bone.
Carcass nearly clean of meat.
Boneless duck.
From left to right: Spatchcocked, easy gutted whole duck, disjointed plucked duck, skinless breasts and whole boneless duck.
Electric Plucker???!!!!!!!!!!!!
